Field
The present application relates to headgear. More specifically, the present application is directed to a form-fitting protective headgear with an integrated fastening system and a detachable eye shield.
Brief Discussion of Related Art
Millions of people participate in various athletic activities and sports. In the United States, fifteen percent of all sports-related injuries are concussions, a type of head injury. Certain sports involve contact among participants (e.g., contact sports), such as football, ice-hockey, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, soccer, water polo, wrestling, as well as other contact sports. An estimated three million people worldwide, ages five to twenty-one and older, participate in amateur wrestling. Yet there are no mandated standards for wrestling headgear. Ear-guards are generally considered a form of headgear, but this term is a misnomer because ear-guards protect only the ears. While various ear-guards are available for use by wrestling participants, these ear-guards are designed to protect the outer ears but not to provide protection against head injuries, and as a result the ear-guards are ineffective in providing protection for the head, face, eyes, jaw, and brain of the participants. In regard to mandated standards, ear-guards are mandatory in high school and college programs and competitions in the United States, but ear-guards are optional in international competition.
Ear-guards are generally made from a molded plastic polymer, or vinyl coated energy absorbing foam, which is disposed over two rigid plastic liners. The ear-guards generally have a number of straps that extend between them in order for the participant to secure the ear-guards to the participant's head. For example, the ear-guards generally have several straps that extend behind the head, several straps that extend in the front-and-top of the head, and one strap that extends under the chin or on the chin. Moreover, the ear-guards are generally secured using hook-and-loop or button-snap mechanisms. Not only do ear-guards provide no protection against head injuries, but the straps also do not adequately secure the ear-guards to the head of the participant even when strapped tightly to the participant's head, and as such do not adequately prevent shifting or movement of the ear-guards during contact, which can lead to head-related injuries of the participant. More specifically, because the several straps are constantly pulled in various directions during contact, the ear-guards provide no protection against axial rotation of the head, which can stress significantly the neck muscles that support the participant's head.
Participants in wrestling, like other contact sports, have a higher risk of sustaining head injuries when compared to other non-contact sports due to levels of force coupled with types of impact that are prevalent in wrestling. In this regard, the rules of play in wrestling reward a participant in taking down an opponent from the standing position to the mat, and further, forcing the opponent to his/her back for several seconds. The foregoing can be accomplished by executing various techniques, most of which require significant force and acceleration. However, unlike other contact sports, such as football, ice-hockey, and several other sports, not all wrestling organizations mandate headgear, and further, equipment manufacturers have not produced headgear that would protect participants, particularly those participants at the youth and amateur levels, from sustaining various head injuries, such as head, face, eyes, jaw, and brain injuries.
It is therefore desirable to provide lightweight protective headgear, which can be easily disposed on a participant's head, fastened thereto, and removed therefrom, while providing a protective function that reduces the potential for head injuries.